5 Reasons Why We Love the White Button-Down

The button-down may have seen a resurgence in the Spring/Summer 2014 runways, but we always knew this was a look that's utterly timeless. And the most classic of them all? The crisp white shirt. It's a wardrobe essential that works hard regardless of the climate or occasion, a staple that will always have a place in our closet.

Just why do we love the white button down? Here are five reasons:

1. IT INSTANTLY MAKES YOU LOOK POLISHED AND PUT TOGETHER.Hit a clothing slump? It only takes a freshly pressed button down to make you look and feel, well, expensive. Pair it with slim trousers, pearl earrings, ballet flats, and a structured bag for a simple yet elegant ensemble.

2. IT WORKS FOR DAY AND NIGHT.Trust us when we say that the white shirt is just about the least picky item in your closet. Toss it over a bikini as an impromptu cover-up, tuck it into a floor-length ball skirt for a Carolina Herrera appeal, or wear it with an impeccably tailored suit at the office. Seriously, anything goes!

3. ITS CUT ACCENTUATES A WOMAN'S SHAPE JUST SO.You might not think a button-down would accentuate your figure, but really, it does! Thanks to a cut that follows a woman's curves, the white shirt manages to enhance the feminine silhouette.

4. IT CAN EASILY BE DRESSED UP OR DOWN.Unlike the white t-shirt, which can sometimes come off as casual despite styling attempts to make it anything but, the white button-down is one piece that doesn't transcribe to any particular dress code. Wear it with the sleeves rolled up for a supermarket run, or with statement earrings and silk shorts for drinks with the girls.

5. IT'S PERFECT FOR NABBING THAT EFFORTLESS TOMBOY LOOK.If you're a new advocate of the whole "dressing like boys" look, you won't go wrong with a white button-down in your arsenal. Look to French icons Charlotte Gainsbourg and Emmanuelle Alt, who wear theirs with beat-up sneakers, leather pants, and that irresistible je ne sais quoi.